Democratic Lawmakers' Statement on National HBCU Week

Press Release

Democratic Lawmakers' Statement on National HBCU Week

U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), and Danny K. Davis (D-IL), issued the following comments today in honor of National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, which falls this week.

"As an HBCU graduate I know firsthand the needs and value of these institutions," said Davis. "These new resources will strengthen their capacity to continue the tradition of developing Black talent into leadership."

The College Cost Reduction Act, H.R. 2669, will provide roughly $20 billion in college aid at no new cost to taxpayers by reducing the excessive subsidies that the federal government pays to lenders. The legislation will provide $170 million in grants for HBCUs over the next five years. All 99 HBCUs that currently receive federal funds will benefit from this funding increase.

Additionally, the bill boosts the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by $1,090 over five years, raising the scholarship from its current value of $4,310 to a maximum of $5,400 by 2012. About 47 percent of all African-American students receive Pell Grant scholarships each year. Eligible students could see an immediate increase of $490 in their maximum Pell Grant scholarship in the 2008-2009 school year.

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